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Chapter 13
Thirteenth Bone: "Soul Deep--Wallpaper of the Heart" is the twelfth (numbered thirteenth) chapter of [[Manga|the manga B. Ichi]]. It was collected as part of Volume 3. Featured Appearances Plot Outside Fear Robot Hangar, Fear Factory Electricity circles around Rodigy, who has just shot dead the recently defected Fear Factory member Zuno. His assistant, Assi, cries over the corpse of his friend. Yohei stares at Rodigy with coolness, promising to "scuff up that nice shiny head of yours." But Shotaro, furious, blocks Yohei: with the Bone of the Horse and the Bone of the Snake in his mouth, he intends to Rodigy single-handed so that Yohei can stop the Fear Robot. Yohei warns that Rodigy is the "Lightning-Beast," impossible for even Shotaro to stop alone. sees something in Shotaro]] Shotaro gets bored with Yohei's explanation, claiming he understood only half of it. Shotaro assures he will be safe. While Yohei calls Shotaro "crazy," he begins to see something around Shotaro, as if his face is wearing clown makeup--and a horrific visage is superimposed over the Dokeshi's face. Shotaro again reassures that he will be fine, which awakens Yohei from his vision. Yohei then remembers how he lost his trusted colleagues to Nofix, but also how Tool encouraged him to trust his friends. As Yohei turns, he thinks to himself that he will trust Shotaro, and the rest of their friends. Rodigy attempts to stop Yohei's escape, but Shotaro is already at the Vice President's side, punching Rodigy's right forearm to make him drop his handgun. Furious, Rodigy tells the "pig" Shotaro not to underestimate him. Shotaro keeps a hold on Rodigy's right arm, but his punch is blocked by Rodigy's left hand. Undeterred, Shotaro simply seizes both forearms and falls back, landing on his backside so he can lift his legs and perform a Horse Kick to Rodigy's head. While blood gushes from his mouth, Rodigy is not beaten: even when kicked back, he manages to wrap his fingers around Shotaro's neck and knock him to the floor. Rodigy demands this pig "squeal." electrocutes Shotaro with Hiraishin]] Shotaro bites Bone of the Snake and manages to wrap his arms and legs around Rodigy's left arm, breaking it with a Snake Cross constriction. Assi is amazed at Shotaro's abilities. Shotaro explains that his good deed will be to stop someone like Rodigy who does not care for other people. Rodigy responds that he intends to use the Fear Robot to spread fear globally and intends to turn Shotaro into "roast pork." Despite Shotaro breaking his left arm, Rodigy lifts it to point to a ceiling light, which begins to crackle with electricity. Rodigy initiates Hiraishin, causing the light's electricity to strike at Rodigy's arm like a lightning rod--and electrocute the still clinging Shotaro. To escape the electricity, Shotaro initiates Bone of the Bird, then prepares to descend again upon Rodigy. But the Vice President performs Shitajiki, electrifying floor panel that he hurls at Shotaro. The electrical attraction between the panels and Shotaro causes them all to levitate, freezing Shotaro in a suspended prison. With Shotaro immobile, Rodigy leaps and collects his Hiraiken into one electrified punch into Shotaro's chest, knocking him to the floor. From the sidelines, Assi is shocked to witness a battle between such powerful Dokeshi. With Shotaro floored, Rodigy explains that the boy is merely playing a game of hero. Meanwhile, Rodigy's work, which Shotaro disparaged as a lack of care for other people, is actually how the business world operates: he simply treats world domination as part of his business strategy. Shotaro struggles to stand, claiming it is actually Rodigy who plays a game, turning "control" and "world domination" into sport. Rodigy responds that Shotaro's "playing" will not save anyone. But as Shotaro stands, he manages to punch Rodigy's face, knocking him across the floor. Shotaro argues that Rodigy cannot simply refer to other people as "playing" just because they do not live as he does. As Shotaro prepares his Justice Blade, he promises to teach Rodigy a lesson. As Rodigy prepares to use another Hiriken punch against Shotaro, he promises to show "how different our voltages are." Shotaro blocks the Hiriken with his Justice Blade. Elsewhere in Fear Factory Mana is on her seventeenth, now eighteenth, kick against Dr. Agei's Tatihi 80 Robot. As Mana pants from exhaustion, Agei mocks her, suggesting she is likely exhausted from her kicks. Undeterred, Mana kicks up a metal sheet among the debris--that slams into Agei's unprotected face. Mana then sticks out her tongue at Agei, calling him "stupid." Mana is then surprised to hear Agei admit he had not considered shielding his cockpit when designing the robot. Agei tries lowering his seat 30 centimeters to prevent another attack, but Mana is not impressed. Agei then asks why Mana does not attack his weak point, the exposed cockpit, if she now knows it. Mana explains she has too much pride to win so easily. Agei responds that pride will not be enough to defeat his Tatihi. Mana initiates her nineteenth kick, this one a roundhouse. She follows it up with her twentieth kick, a Senkyaku Banrai. Even that powerful kick is not enough to destroy Tatihi, as Mana has to flip back to avoid a punch from the robot's Irene fist. When Agei praises his "high-tech" robot, Mana questions what can be so high-tech about simply swinging iron balls. Agei explains his robot hides advanced technology, such as an automatic eyedrop dispenser fixed to his pilot seat. He demonstrates by leaning back, waiting for the one drop to fall into his eyes--and instead has his entire body dosed in a shower of water. Agei tries to cover up this failure by referring to the dispenser as a combined shower. He then pushes a button to change the seat into a bed for a nap--which only turns on the shower again. Agei again tries to cover up his failure by claiming the shower woke him up as good as any nap. Furious at Mana pointing out his failures, Agei attacks with another Irene punch. But when Agei calls Mana a "little shrimp," she becomes furious, noting that Agei is shorter than her. Agei responds that the robot is part of his main body, so he is still taller--and this lie increases Mana's fury. Mana says Agei's remarks are creepy enough without needing to hear them from Agei's tanuki face. Agei is initially furious, claiming that Mana's remark suggests he tends to repeat "Correct?" and is playful and mischievous. Realizing Mana's insult is actually accurate, he then apologizes and becomes depressed. Mana begs him to stop feeling badly. Furious again, Agei says he is as human as Mana is, and for her insult, he will crush her. defeats Agei's Tatihi 80 with Rising Sun]] But as Agei attempts to attack, his Tatihi robot overheats. Mana explains she focused her twenty-one kicks on the same spot on the robot, which is the point of a Bassai attack, which means "to break down your enemy's fortress." As Mana dashes to complete her twenty-second and final kick, Agei screams that his theory was that his robot's armor was too strong to be defeated by a little girl like Mana. Mana responds that fighting isn't about fighting or logic but guts. Mana completes her Rising Sun kick, destroying Tatihi and defeating Agei. Mana concludes that her kick "has the spirit and force of the rising sun"--before saying she was just kidding as she does a spin kick to knock the robot down the hall. Coughing from the exhaust coming off his destroyed robot and his exhaustion, Agei struggles to crawl away, promising to retreat and return with a better robot. But Mana, with a devilish grin across her face, stands over Agei. She asks him what she thinks he looks like. He suggests a tanuki. She responds by kicking his head and demanding he give her a commendation immediately. Underground Hangar, Fear Robot Nofix takes a cell phone call from another party. He confirms that the plan is going well and confirms he is with the Fear Robot right now. Nofix adds that, since killing Lin Kinpar, Rodigy trusts him so much that he even gave him the key to the Robot's hangar. Nofix adds that this other party should know now how powerful the Fear Robot can be, based on how destructive it was against the Fighting Robot Tournament Stadium. As the needle nose of the Robot begins to spin along with the antenna on his cell phone, Nofix wants confirmation that their deal is still secured. In Another Location On the other end of the phone call, Apple Shinoda agrees to Nofix's terms. He stands before Emine as well as a resurrected Lin Kinpar. Underground Hangar, Fear Robot Nofix explains that this deal will let him "run wild," as he will work with Emine's Observers so long as he is left alone. But then Nofix hears someone arriving to the hangar. Apple agrees to end the call while Nofix tends to this "guest." Knocking on the side of the opened hangar is Yohei. After complaining how disgusting are the cigarettes he stole from the Fear Factory's Dokeshi Division, he aims his Law-Abiding Silver Gun at Nofix, promising to kill him. Nofix sneers. Trivia *In the summary of the previous chapter, Mana has horns atop her head again. *Agei's Tatihi 80 Robot is referred to in the previous chapter's summary as a "bedpan robot," due to the shape of its bucket seat. *On the chapter cover, Get-kun looks to be blowing smoke out of its mouth similar to Yohei's cigarette smoke. Mana and Shotaro are sharing popcorn. *Rodigy's Hiraishin attack means "lightning rod," but the first character is different: the character to use should be "evade" or "avoid," but instead it is spelled with the character meaning "negative," "mistake," or "injustice."B. Ichi Manga: Volume 3, Yen Press English eBook, Pages 123, 189 *The signs at Mana and Agei's battle location include "Danta" and "Mechanical Jellyfish." Cultural References Musical Allusions References in Okubo's Later Works *Mana compares Agei to a tanuki. Taunki are animals native to Japan, also known in English as "raccoon dogs." Mana compares Agai to a tanuki based the raccoon-like black mask around his eyes.B. Ichi Manga: Volume 3, Yen Press English eBook, Pages 137, 189 Tanuki will appear in Okubo's subsequent series, Soul Eater and its prequel Soul Eater NOT! Kim Diehl, a witch, has as her theme tanuki and is even able to transform into one. Anya Hepburn will buy a tanuki statue at a Death City marketplace, which she keeps in her bedroom (and in the Soul Eater NOT! anime names Josephine). References Site Navigation Category:Chapters Category:Shotaro/Appearance Category:Mana Hinoki/Appearance Category:Yohei Nanami/Appearance Category:Rodigy/Appearance Category:Dr. Agei/Appearance Category:Assi/Appearance Category:Kyokotsu/Appearance